I’m a sweaty mess after the class, even worse than I would’ve been in yoga. “That was fun, I can’t believe how fast the time went by.” I wipe the sweat from my forehead as I speak.
“I’m glad you liked it. You’re good, a natural at swinging those legs.”
“Thanks.”
“You ready to get something to eat?”
“I really need to shower.”
“I could use a shower too.” Vinny arches his eyebrows suggestively.
“That wasn’t an invitation.”
Vinny finishes packing up his stuff. There’s a few women still hanging around talking, but most have already left. Standing in front of me, he reaches around my waist with his one free hand and pulls me closer to him, uncaring if people are still in the room. “That’s a shame, I was looking forward to you washing my back.”
“I think you’re going to be taking care of yourself today.” I arch one eyebrow playfully, the double meaning in my statement intentional.
Vinny laughs, shaking his head as he throws his arm around my shoulder, holding me close as he leads us to the door. “I’ll shower alone, but it won’t be as much fun. But I’m taking you to dinner. Give me your address, I’ll pick you up in forty-five minutes. I’m not taking any chances by giving you more time than that.”
We drive to a part of town I haven’t been to in years, not far from our old high school. I’m surprised when Vinny parks behind the library and comes around to open my door without explanation.
“Why are we at the library?” Vinny takes my hand and helps me out of his truck, grabbing a bag from the back seat.
“Come on, I’ll show you.”
We walk for a few minutes and I finally catch on to where he must be taking me. The tree. For years after Vinny left school, I couldn’t look in the direction of that damn tree. It was our spot. A few months after I started tutoring him in the library, the weather had finally warmed up enough and Vinny had insisted we needed to study outdoors. So we found a quiet place under a big tree and spent almost every afternoon after school under it. To me, it was our tree, a special place where I fell in love for the very first time.
Vinny opens the duffle bag, pulls out a blanket and spreads it over the grass, motioning with an exaggerated hand gesture and bow for me to sit.
“Our dinner.” He reaches in and pulls out another bag, handing it to me before he sits close on the blanket.
I know what’s in the bag, but I check anyway. I can’t believe he’s remembered so much. Most afternoons we’d share a hero. Roast beef and provolone, mayo only on his half.
“I can’t believe you remembered all of this.”
“Of course I remembered.”
I try to force a smile at Vinny, but he sees on my face that something’s bothering me.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. I guess I’m just surprised that you remembered all this.”
“Remember? Liv, those months with you…I’d never forget.”
When we spent time together all those years ago, I never doubted that there was something between us. I was young and inexperienced, but my heart told me he cared about me too. Then it just ended. And I spent the next year of my life feeling stupid for thinking he felt something for me too. To say I was devastated would be an understatement. It crushed my faith in so many things…young love, trusting my judgment on boys, giving my heart to someone else. “Then why, Vinny? Why did we stop spending time together after you left school?”
Vinny sighs, raking his fingers through his dark blond locks. It makes his unruly hair even more wild and only that much sexier. “My life was just so screwed up. My mom had problems, I’d just got kicked out of school, and I didn’t understand things about myself.” He reaches for my hand. “You were young, Liv. You weren’t ready for what I needed from you.”
Softly, the words escape my lips before I can catch them. “I didn’t care about any of that. I just needed you.”
I watch Vinny’s throat work as he swallows. For a second, I catch a flash of the boy I once knew in the man, only this time, he’s forlorn instead of angry. But the flash quickly passes, shuttering over the sadness. “You needed someone better. I would’ve dragged you down.” His words are spoken resolutely. It’s clear by his clipped tone he intends the conversation to be over. We’re both quiet for a long time, neither of us wanting to speak first.
I don’t even realize I’m staring at our joined hands, avoiding eye contact, until Vinny finally puts his hand under my chin, forcing my head up to meet his gaze. “Do you understand?”